Don't Forget
by Ariatica
Summary: Based on Manga/FMA Brotherhood story lines. After the conclusion of the manga/anime and over the course of the 10 years following that conclusion, Edward returns to Resembool alone. The whereabouts of Alphonse, Winry and other characters is unknown.
1. Chapter 1: Is This Home?

Don't Forget

Chapter 1: Is This Home?

Loss, joy, anger and excitement. We feel them all and more. We all have a heart in our chest and a brain in our head. We are all born alike, we all live in the same world. We share the same air, the same water and the same energy. Prince and pauper are all born the same, with the same human potential. Some humans are able to reach their full potential, some abuse their potential and some fail to accomplish that which they are able to. Regardless, we are all like each other and that's what's important.

Edward Elric gazed across a field from the worn bridge at the entrance to his home town, Resembool. The trickle of river water broke the silence and a woodpecker was thumping a tree not far away. There was something to be said for this chance to slow down. It had been a long time since Ed had been able to, literally, stop and smell the roses. He hadn't seen Resembool in nearly 10 years but so little had changed he felt he'd been thrown back in time. It seemed strange to him that his younger brother wasn't fishing for tadpoles, or that his childhood friend, Winry Rockbell, wasn't piecing together a new motor for Ed's toy car. He missed the sight of his mother on the hillside, calling them to come home for dinner. He looked to the hillside where his house had once been. The years had reduced the ruins of the house to stones and grass. The old tree that had practically been reduced to cinders was sprouting a few twigs and leaves. The site looked lonely but it acted as a memory. What happened there, literally, shaped the person he was. He could never forget and he never wanted to. Edward frowned at the memories and sighed. The hot sun bore down on his back and there was no time like the present to enjoy this little piece of time alone.

Over the creaking bridge was a steep bank that he and Alphonse used to fish off of. They rarely caught anything bigger than a minnow but a fish is a fish and it was all fun and games as far as they were concerned. Ed took a seat and lay back. The sun warmed his face and eased his aching muscles. It's not the greatest fun, walking for days but with the disruption of the trains, on foot was the only option. A rumble emanated from Ed's stomach, louder than he expected. So being hungry and tired wasn't exactly a holiday for Ed but he'd survive. He always did. It was good to feel the grass under his hands. Sometimes he took his right arm for granted but today he relished the bouncy softness of the green grass beneath his fingers. It reminded him to always be thankful for his body.

As far as he was concerned he had all the time in the world, so why not soak up the sun and think for a while? What was the plan now? He'd spent nearly his entire life reaching a goal, contemplating a plan or a mission. But now, he had no goal, only to enjoy what life he had left. At 25, Ed had already been to the brink of death, beyond and back. Life in the slow lane would be interesting, or not. Ed could only sigh. He had no idea what would happen now.

The trickle of the stream was permeated by a new sound, a soft, even thud. 'Oh', Ed realised, 'footsteps.'

"Edward?" It was Pinako. She looked the same as she always had. Fragile but tough, old but with a sparkle of youth bubbling under the surface. "Well, I imagine you'll be staying for dinner. You're nothing but skin and bones." She turned to walk back to her home, about a mile away. "It's very good to see you. You look different. You fit here."

A smile grazed Edward's lips. He stumbled to his feet and made to follow Pinako back to her house.

Pinako's house looked the same as ever, but it had fallen into slight disrepair. The sign advertising her automail shop had fallen, it was leant against a nearby wall and a few roof tiles had tumbled off. He noticed a crack in one of the windows. Something more was missing from the house. It looked darker. Something was missing.

"Come on in Edward, I've made a stew." Any thoughts about the ominous feel of the house soon vanished at the prospect of food. For 15 minutes nothing more entered Edward's head. The only thought he had went something like this " FOOD FOOD FOOD SO HUNGRY FOOD!"

It's no wonder Pinako left him to his own devices. When there was nothing more than a few spots of gravy left in his bowl, Ed looked to her. "Thank you for the meal."

"I suspected you hadn't eaten in a while. And your clothes are filthy. You've been travelling for a very long time. Would you like to stay for the night?" She always was a giving person.

"Thank you. It would be nice to sleep on a mattress for once. I've been leaning against trees for weeks now. I haven't slept a night through in the longest time." His limbs felt sore and knotted from the restless nights.

"You've been gone a very long time. I'd almost forgotten what you looked like. Have you got any news from the wide stretches of Amestris?" Pinako was making small talk, unusual for her.

"Things are slowly settling down. I came back from Central though I hear that Rush Valley is doing very well." Pinako considered this.

"And who do you hear that from?" Ah, she was edging towards a sore spot.

"Just word of mouth. Hey, Granny, I'd love to repay you for your hospitality. How about I fix this place up a little?" He looked around and made a list of all the little jobs that needed doing. The table wobbled, that could be fixed easily enough. The floor boards creaked too, even under the weight of Pinako. That might pose more of a problem.

"I'd be grateful for that Edward. I'm going to sit outside for a while and have a pipe. Would you like to join me? I suspect you might be tired."

"Yea, I'll sit with you for a while." It was nice to have someone else around. It's not so fun flitting around the country by oneself. She shuffled the dishes out from under Ed's nose and pushed them into the kitchen.

Ed grabbed his jacket, which he'd flung over the back of his chair, and a blanket that had been set down on one of the chairs in the living area. Pinako stepped out as Ed held the door and rested herself on the top step. The sun had just disappeared behind the hills and the sky had a pink and orange glow to it. Clouds speckled the sky and cast shadows across the ground. Ed laid the blanket around her shoulders.

"It's nice to have you home Edward. The house has been very empty. I've been thinking about getting another dog but I wonder if it would enjoy living with an old woman." Now that he could look at her, Pinako looked older, she was lonely.

"I could look into it for you. And if you'll have me I'll stick around for a while. It's not like I have anywhere to go." Ed laughed and scratched his head nervously.

"So you haven't got any plans right now? How unlike you. I don't remember the last time I saw you standing still. You look a lot older." Pinako was staring at him.

"I am a lot older. At least, I've definitely gotten older since you last saw me." He blinked, a little confused.

"You've grown. Height suits you. You were always very small." She smirked and turned to regard the disappearing sun.

"SMALL?" Seething, Ed rested his head in his hands.

"How is your leg?" Pinako tapped his leg with her pipe.

"Hmm. It's okay. Perhaps a little worse for wear." He pulled up his trouser leg so she could look at it.

"It certainly needs some adjustments. You shouldn't let it get like this. Then again, I imagine Winry is the only one who might be able to make suitable adjustments. This automail is definitely her work." Pinako started prodding and peering at the automail.

"I should get to bed. I want to be up early to get a lot of work done." Ed retracted into his shell a little bit. He had wanted to dodge the subject of Winry at all costs but when he was staying with her grandmother it was inevitable.

Pinako stood and went into the house.

She ascended the stairs, "It's a shame you haven't heard from her. This place isn't the same."

"So that's what's missing from this place." Despite the belly full of food and a warm bed, something was playing on Edward's mind. He didn't sleep well that night either.


	2. Chapter 2: Is This Right?

Chapter 2:

Ed awoke with a start. A heavy sigh escaped his body and sweat dripped from his forehead and torso. The nightmares had returned but this time they were worse. He'd never known such vivid dreams; it was as if they were real. He could still feel the impact of clawing hands and the slime. He shuddered.

_He had been in a room, in total darkness. Even though he couldn't see the room felt really busy and full. It was hot and there were things moving about. They felt like slimy hands. He reached out and felt around for anything but all he could feel was slime. Suddenly, out of the darkness, a pinprick of light appeared. It grew so slowly it felt like years were passing. Gradually it brought the contents of the room into view. Just above the light, he could see a beautiful face. It was smiling at him. Golden hair framed the pale skin with deep blue eyes and he could feel a warm familiarity spread through his body. The light was hovering over her heart, shining out of her and her hand reached out for him, relaxed and comforting. He moved to take the outstretched hand when her face contorted in pain, a torrent of blood fell from her hand and arm. The light began to dim._

"_Winry? Winry!" He shouted and fought towards her against the disgusting slimy hands. But he was getting nowhere. Her face grew desperate as she fought to reach him too. The pain grew and she opened her mouth to scream but all that came out was blood._

_Edward pushed and fought with every inch of strength but could do nothing against the army of hands grabbing at him. The light grew dimmer, Winry lost consciousness and the hands began to pull her into their midst. _

_The light and Winry had been swallowed by the slimy hands. Edward, shocked and desperate, was alone in the blackness again._

Shaking his head and clearing his mind he realised that the day was just dawning outside. The sun peeked over the hilltops and the dew on the grass glistened. Another bright day in Resembool.

"Edward! I've made breakfast. Come down and then you can get to work."

"Coming Pinako." He swung his legs over the bed. As he did a sharp pain shot up his left leg. It had been troubling him for some time. Perhaps he'd outgrown it further. In any case, he wasn't much use if his automail had failed. He needed to get it looked at.

The pain from his leg didn't diffuse as he showered and dressed. He had to limb down the stairs but the smell of bacon soon removed his sense of pain.

"Your appetite hasn't changed." Pinako observed over her glasses. "When you've finished I've left tools on the porch. You know where everything is so help yourself as and when you need. It'll be good for you to keep busy."

"Thanks Granny. It'd be nice to stretch my muscles and do something productive." He mumbled through a mouthful of egg.

"I expect you would like to feel useful." Pinako sure was stepping on the edge of prying now. It hurt Ed's pride to be pitied. "You're automail is practically disintegrating. When did you last have it checked?"

"Oh, umm, about 6 years ago. I went through a pretty rough patch about 2 years ago and I think that's what's done so much of this damage." Ed swung his leg out from under the table and pulled up his trousers to let Pinako inspect the damage.

"This is definitely Winry's work. I doubt I'll be able to make much of it. Her automail is so unique now. You'd need to have her look at it really." Ed knew the questions were coming so he braced himself. "When did you last see her?"

"About 6 years ago." His expression blackened and he rested his fork on the table. "Do you hear from her?"

"Yes, frequently. But she isn't the same. She's always hurt." Pinako moved away from Ed and he sat back at the table.

"I hope she's okay. Where is she now? Last I heard she was packing up her shop in Rush Valley." Edward missed Winry. They certainly hadn't parted on good terms but there had been no choice. Leaving her was his only option.

"She came back here for a while but she never really settled again. She set her sights on Central but has ended up travelling. Last I heard she was heading East." Ed was pleased with this news. The East was a safer place to be now, and she had connections there that could protect her. "Do you hear from Alphonse?"

"Ah, not often. Neither of us stays still long enough to exchange addresses. He's still in Xing I think." Ed wasn't at all sure where Alphonse was.

"Edward, you seem alone."

He'd never thought about it but Pinako was right. He had been alone for a long time now. Many of his friends had scattered and those closest to him were far away.

"Ed...You remind me of your father. He was alone for a very long time. You don't need to be alone."

A tear pricked Ed's eye. He didn't feel deserving of his friends. As Alphonse developed his alchemic talents and Winry grew into her automail craft, Ed had stayed alarmingly static. He wasn't sure where to go or what to pursue. He wanted no part in the military, though it had improved considerably and produced a happier Amestris. He didn't know where to go. He allowed himself to get stuck, unable to move forward. He had left Winry 6 years ago because he made her unhappy. He just couldn't stand to see her cry, to see her be so angry at him. He wanted to go out and find out what he was meant to do next. He needed a purpose and drive. He wanted to be alone to find out who he was meant to be.

But now he was alone. He hadn't found anything.

"Edward, don't be so defeatist. It'll all be okay. Now finish you're breakfast. The rain is coming and I can't spend another night mopping the floor thanks to that leaking roof."


	3. Chapter 3: How do you fix a leak?

Chapter 3: How do you fix a leak?

The Sun was high in the sky and the heat was starting to get to Ed. It was a change of pace from the alarmingly cold days of the recent summer but he was glad the advancing autumn was bringing a warmer wind. And wind was exactly what he found on the roof of Pinako's house. If ever gale force winds blew, it seemed to be here. He didn't mind so much. He was enjoying the work. A lot of shingles had come loose and they were letting water drip into the bedrooms, even down the walls and into the kitchen.

He had been workings at hammering the new shingles for a couple of hours. He was surprised at how much there was to do. Suddenly Pinako appeared on the ladder with a glass of lemonade. Ed rested his tools on the gutter and sat down, facing the wide landscape.

"This is thirsty work so I brought you this. Will you finish today?"

"Sure, no problem Granny." Ed clutched the glass and tipped it back. Leaning against the roof, he stared at the sky, trying to make shapes out of the clouds. There was a dragon, a cow, a teacup and, a spanner. It made him think of her. The last time he'd seen her she had been so angry but the usual spanner to the head didn't come. She laid it down feeling totally defeated, turned around and walked away. She hadn't looked back at him. Edward scowled. He had been so stupid.

Sitting up, he shook away the memory and looked out over the land. So much green and blue made the world so beautiful and untouchable. It was flecked with specks of red and yellow, further evidence of summers end. The world was changing and growing, always in motion. He sighed and got to his feet. If he hurried he would be done before sunset. Then he could enjoy watching it.

The cold had begun to set in as the Sun fell later in the day. He still had a quarter of the roof to do, far from the finishing flourish he had hoped for by this time in the day but Pinako called Ed inside. He climbed down the ladder and folded in away. The tools were returned to their box and the few leftover nails were dropped into the box too. It had been such hot work Ed took off his shirt and wiped his brow. He swung it over his shoulder and made to go indoors when a freezing breeze caught him off guard. Turning to look down the road, he could see a small figure a long way off. He blinked and squinted in an attempt to see who it was but by the time he had, the figure had disappeared. Shrugging the experience off, Ed headed inside.

"Here are some clean clothes Ed. Now, as for your automail, I've been thinking about it. I'll do my best to fix it up but you need to see Winry. In fact, I was thinking about asking her to come back for a visit. Perhaps, for the sake of your leg you could put your difference aside and let her fix you up?" Pinako threw a clean shirt at him but he barely caught it whilst trying to process the thought of meeting Winry after all this time apart.

"I...but...urm" Ed just couldn't process the idea.

"Excellent, I'll make arrangements then." Pinako made for the kitchen.

"Wait, Granny! Winry hasn't seen me in 6 years! I can't just be here or see her or...I don't know." Edward couldn't stand the thought of Winry's reaction to his presence in her own house.

"Edward, I am inviting my granddaughter to my house as a guest, you just happen to be another guest staying with me. If you aren't okay with this then you can leave but I seem to remember a promise to fix my roof."

Ed started to argue against this but realised Pinako had trapped him. Feeling deflated he conceded defeat and nodded.

"Okay. Though I'm going to finish your roof and that's that. I'll leave soon after." Ed hoped Winry wouldn't arrive before he was done.

He climbed the stairs to go to bed, head hung, consumed by the thought of seeing Winry for the first time in 6 years.

"Edward, you've not had anything to eat. You've been working all day, you must be hungry." Granny shouted up the stairs after him.

"Oh, umm, I'm not hungry Granny. I'll see you in the morning." Ed didn't stop to speak. He just wanted to get to his room.

He slammed the door behind him, so hard that it nearly fell off of its hinges. His fists were clenched and his jaw locked in a painful grimace. It was all he could do to not pound his right hand through the wall. But on second thoughts he realised that a broken hand wouldn't be any good to him. It sometimes slipped his mind that his arm wasn't made of metal anymore. Not that it would have been a good idea to break that either.

He stomped towards his bed and flopped down onto it, breathing out a huge sigh. The sheets were a mess and his pillow had ended up wedged between the bed frame and the wall after his terrible dream the night before. He tugged it free and heard a ping on the floor. Peering down, he found a small silver hoop. It was an earring, one of Winry's. He had bought it for her the last time he had come back to Resembool, just before they moved to Rush Valley. She had been so upset that she had lost it.

He heaved another huge sigh. How could he have gotten himself into this mess? How could he face Winry after 6 years of nothing? Not a single word, not a single call or letter. He knew very well that what he had done was unforgivable. He couldn't expect her to talk to him or even look at him. He was sure she'd refuse to fix his automail. Winry was such a good, wonderful person and Edward had ruined their relationship. He had taken her for granted over and over until, one day, she wasn't there anymore.

He clasped the earring tightly and closed his eyes. Head resting against the pillow, he stared out of the window to the swiftly approaching night. Could he bear seeing her face again, knowing it would crumble at the sight of him?

Another sleepless night was in store for Edward and he knew it. So he made himself content with trying to find shapes in the stars.

Remaining motionless for a long time, Ed thought about Winry. He wondered how much she might have changed in the time they had been apart. He tried constructing conversations he could strike up with her, despite knowing the awkward silences would punctuate the meeting continuously. Sighing again, he blinked.

He spotted Alphonse's bed from out of the corner of his eye. It was made up neatly with a folded set of clothes rested on the pillow. He looked at it, thinking.

He swung his feet out and they found the cold wood of the floor. Pushing himself up required more strength than usual, he felt stupid for not eating. He reached for Al's bed and found himself tripping over a warped floorboard. Falling hard onto the ground, he hit his head and cut his arm on a stray nail. This was definitely not his night. Pulling the clean shirt Pinako had given him over his wound to stop the blood, he pushed himself up against Al's bed.

Glancing at the folded clothes, he thought of his brother and how much he missed him. Al's work in Xing kept him so busy. Ed could never have admitted to him what he had done to Winry or how he was feeling. But Ed had to admit it now, he needed his brother.

Awash with sadness, Ed pulled Al's pillow toward him and buried his face into it. Eventually he fell asleep on the floor, only an hour before he was supposed to get up and finish the roof.

"Edward! Get up now! The Sun has been up for hours and breakfast has been on the table long enough." Pinako called to him up the stairs.

Edward stretched out of his balled up shape on the floor and stood. The shirt wrapped around his arm fell down, covered in the blood lost from the cut he sustained during the night. He was surprised that he could straighten himself out considering how unforgiving the wooden floor had been on his back. How old was he getting?

He shrugged the pain off, it was hardly like losing an arm, and made to go down the stairs.

As he was descending he shouted for Pinako, "Hey Granny, that shirt you gave me had a little mishap during the night, you wouldn't happen to have..."

Mid-stride Edward had looked up and seen her. Winry; sat at the dining room table. Just like when they had been kids. Shocked, confused and simply overwhelmed, Ed forgot he was walking down the stairs and before he knew it he had fallen all the way to the bottom. Arms, legs and automail hit the lower floor with a terrifying thud.

Winry looked up, reassuringly unsurprised at the entrance.


	4. Chapter 4: How did I get this bump?

Chapter 4: How did I get this bump on my head?

Blurred vision, a headache and a spinning room met Edward when he managed to open his eyes. Coming to, he realised the room was upside down. No, he was upside down, crushed against the wall at the bottom of Pinako's staircase with all of the force of his own body weight.

Having righted himself, Ed rubbed his head and looked up to see Granny stood over him, examining his mangled automail. He shuddered and froze with a yelp when he noticed Winry sat at the table. She didn't look up or seem to recognise his presence in the room. She just kept lifting her tea to her lips and glancing at a book rested against her empty plate.

"Edward, are you alright?" Pinako leant further forward. Ash fell out of the pipe tucked into the corner of her mouth. "You're bleeding, did you cut yourself?"

The wound on his arm had opened and he had gotten blood all over the floor and his trousers. He also had a huge cut on his forehead from where he had plummeted into the wall.

"You look a state Edward. Let me get you some clean clothes. In the meantime try and clean your wounds, there's bandage in the cupboard over there." Pinako handed him a scrap of fabric to hold on his wounds to stop the bleeding.

He looked around her towards Winry; she still hadn't looked up at him. A frown flitted across his face as he bowed his head and got up to clean his cuts at the sink. Attempting to take a step forward, he found that his automail leg just didn't respond. Grabbing for the banister to save him from falling, he tried to push against it to see if it would take any weight. It didn't. Not only did it creak and stick, a panel fell off and three screws tumbled to the floor.

Essentially hopping, he made it to the sink. He pulled the bandage out of the cupboard and wrapped it around his arm, forgetting to cut it before he did. While trying to hold the bandage on and not let the other end roll away, he clumsily looked for scissors. Searching through the cupboards turned up nothing but he noticed a pair had appeared on the sink. Looking around, he saw Winry was sitting back at the table. Exhaling, he cut the bandage and wrapped some more around his head to stop the bleeding.

Pinako appeared again with the set of clean clothes that had been left on Al's bed. "This is all I have right now. I'll head into the village to buy some more for you but it would help if you could stop bleeding on everything."

"Oh, thanks Granny. But I can go." Ed pulled the shirt over his shoulders. It was a little tight which surprised him seeing as Al had been the taller of the two brothers. How old were these clothes? When had Al last been here?

"Edward, aside from you're automail being a mess, you said you would fix my roof. So give your leg to Winry, eat your breakfast and get to work." Smiling and patting him on the back, Pinako put her coat on, took hold of her walking stick and stepped outside, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Once outside, Pinako laughed a little, hoping that the time alone would allow Edward and Winry to talk. Winry had never told her what happened between the pair which worried Pinako so it was clear that what had happened hurt both of them very deeply. When they had been happy, it was as if their worlds were complete. They complimented each other so well, it almost made no sense that they shouldn't be talking.

Hoping for the best, Pinako made her way into the village praying she could remember Ed's shirt size.

Edward glared at the door, suddenly aware of the predicament he was in. He had no choice but to turn to Winry, who was already turned in her chair and staring at him with entirely vacant eyes.

His expression became clouded and he looked down at the floor to avoid her gaze. As if he was a small boy again, his hands crept behind his back and he shuffled his broken automail foot, scratching at a knot in the wooden floor. He just didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again quickly. He peeked up from under his fringe, which he now noticed was a complete mess and sticky with blood from the cut on his head. She was still staring at him.

He sighed and let his head fall gain. He must look ridiculous to her. His automail was rusted and literally falling apart, the shirt on his back was too small, his trousers were covered in dirt from kneeling on the roof and his hair was knotted with blood and dirt. He knew she must think him to be just pathetic.

Trying again to think of something to say, he was interrupted mid-thought...

"Leave your automail there. There are a set of crutches by the door for now as the only spare leg we have is far too small for you. I saw the tools you need outside so you'd better get started on that roof. Granny will have a fit if you don't finish it." Winry had turned away from him and was once again looking through the book in front of her and drinking her tea.

Ed sat down where he had been stood and examined his automail. He needed a ratchet to loosen the grip of his automail and take it off. As if she heard his thoughts, Winry slid one towards him along the floor and then turned her back on him again. A little exasperated, Edward struggled to loosen the grip his automail had on his leg. Unfortunately, due to the years of neglect the joint had seized and it took a lot of strength to pull it off. When it finally came loose shards of metal, dirt and screws fell all over the floor. He felt bad that Winry would have to try and fix this mess. Hopping over to her chair, he laid the leg down beside her and reached for the crutches, nearly falling again in the process.

He stepped out of the house and pulled the door shut, watching Winry as he did. She didn't move a muscle.

"_I suppose that could have gone worse. Somehow." _Edward stepped onto the rough gravel and looked down the road that led to the house. He could still see Pinako's tiny form walking away.

Turning back to the house he noticed that the ladder had already been put up against the wall. The challenge now was to climb it with only one leg.


	5. Chapter 5: What is she doing?

Don't Forget

Chapter 5:

Sweat dropped onto the newly laid shingles as Ed pounded the last one into place. It had been hard work and the sun had decided to wipe away the clouds of the previous day. The heat shone onto his back as he worked. Pinako had been gone all day and he wasn't surprised that Winry hadn't brought him anything to drink. He had thought about trying to climb down off the roof but after the struggle of getting up he felt it best to stay put until Pinako returned, just in case he fell.

Resting the hammer against his foot so that it didn't roll off of the roof, Ed leant back and cast his gaze towards the sky. The Sun was unbelievably hot despite the summer's poor weather. Perhaps it had just come late in the year. There were no clouds to make shapes from today so Ed contented himself with closing his eyes for a quick rest.

It wasn't long before the cogs of his brain had begun turning and whirring. Now that he didn't have anything to occupy his mind until Granny returned, it was all he could do to stop himself thinking about what he would say to Winry, or what she would say to him. He just didn't know how to handle the situation.

His brow furrowed and his eyes shot open. Sitting up abruptly, he wanted to force himself to think of a solution. How could he talk to her? How could he try and prove his regret in leaving her? He never wanted to hurt her but he couldn't stand to make her cry. He swore a long time ago that he would only make her cry tears of happiness, but all he'd done after Alphonse left and he'd got back from the West was make her angry and frustrated.

He had failed her. He knew he had to make it right. He'd do anything to make her happy again. Clenching his fists with determination, he resolved to make Winry smile again. He'd make sure she was happy if it was the last thing he did.

Making to stand up, Ed forgot he only had one leg so began to fall forwards towards the edge of the roof. In a huge effort to stop himself plummeting to his doom, he pushed himself backwards. Completely off balance, Ed fell to his right. Certain he was about to drop all the way onto the ground below, he curled himself into a tight ball and tensed every muscle in his body. His jaw was locked, anticipating pain but instead, felt himself gently thud onto a hard surface.

Luckily, he had fallen onto the balcony outside of Winry's room. He'd only fallen about 6 feet and avoided any major damage. He took a few deep breaths, still curled into a ball and managed to calm down before slowly sitting up and leaning against the window.

No sooner had he leant back, when Winry thrust the door open with huge force, practically rolling Ed over. He hit his head on the floor and splayed out everywhere. As Edward was righting himself, Winry smiled and chuckled to herself. It had been a long time since she'd seen him make a fool of himself. But as soon as he turned to look back at what had pushed him over, her face clouded over and her smile turned to a grimace.

"I heard a loud noise. I figured it must have been you." Winry surveyed Ed as he rubbed his head and winced, still slightly sprawled on the floor, but sitting at least.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to disturb you. I fell." Ed went a little red and he couldn't meet her gaze.

"If you're okay I'll get back to work. Try not to make too much noise." And with those words and a swish of golden hair, Winry disappeared back into the house.

Ed crawled a little towards the railing of the balcony and drew himself up to stand. As he did, he saw the small shape of Pinako approaching the house. She was weighed down with bags but moving quickly. From behind him he heard a clatter and noticed that Winry must have thrown his crutches onto the balcony for him. Seconds later he saw her run out of the house to help Pinako carry her bags.

In the Sun, her hair shone brightly and she seemed so graceful. She was still the kind Winry she had always been. He smiled in that knowledge. For some reason, at that moment, both Winry and Pinako looked towards him. He jumped in shocked, for some reason thinking he was an invisible observer. Then came the sound of Pinako's laughter, swiftly followed by Winry's. Both continued to look at him. It didn't take a genius to figure out Winry had just told her about his death defying fall. He hung his head in exasperation.

Gathering up all of his tools off of the roof, Ed made to go inside through Winry's room. The curtains had been pulled all day and as soon as he stepped in he noticed how dark it was. None of the Sun was creeping through and all of the lights, but one, were off. Her table lamp illuminated the tiny pieces of metal on her desk. He saw a few cogs and screws, but in amongst all of that was a really small contraption. He could hear it ticking away.

What on earth was it?

The cogs were made of gold and, from what he could see, silver. Within the mechanism he could see a ruby shining.

The doorknob turned and Winry walked in. Seeing Edward stooped over her creation he eyes sparked with anger.

"Get out!" Stepping aside she pointed viciously at the door. Head lowered and cowering, Ed ran.

Once outside, the door slamming behind him, Ed let out a long breathe. He hobbled to his own room and rested on the bed for a little while. A thousand questions swam in his mind. What had Winry been working on? Why was she home? And, as always, where was Alphonse?

There came a knock at the door.

"Ed. Here, I managed to find some clothes in your size. They should tide you over nicely. I spoke to Winry about your leg and she's not very optimistic. She's thinking of making a new one from scratch but doesn't have the materials here. She's leaving in the morning to get them from Rush Valley."

Eyes closed, as if sleeping, Edward absorbed Pinako's words. Winry would be the one to leave this time. Would she even come back? The irony of the situation he was in stung. Just as he'd left Winry in the lurch 6 years ago, she now had the opportunity to do exactly the same.

"Talk to her before she leaves Ed." The door closed softly.

His brow furrowed at the thought. What would he say? He sighed and lifted his head up. Propping himself onto his crutches he made his way to Winry's room. He took a really deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." He pushed his way in and saw, still shrouded in darkness, Winry. Bent over her desk, hair tied back and doing what she loved.

"I need to talk to you." He hung his head, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"Oh. I thought you were Granny. Fair enough. Say what you need to say."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm..." She held up her hand, signalling him to stop.

"Don't you dare say sorry Edward Elric." She spun around in her chair. "You look me in the eye right now."

He lifted his head to see her seething eyes and dropped it again. He heard the scrape of a chair and a shuffle. Then, her gloved hand was on his chin, lifting it up.

"If you have anything to say that you think I want to hear you need to say it while you look at me." Her eyes were practically on fire.

"Winry I didn't mean to leave you!"

"What good is that to me Edward? You left me to pay bills and run a shop alone. You abandoned me and your..." There was a strange pause. "Your family, your roots. You just disappeared." Her voice softened.

"You just vanished." She let her hand drop to her side, turned and went back to her desk.

"Winry please..." She stopped him again.

"You've no right to ask anything of me. Go away."

He wasn't about to make her anymore angry or sad so he did. He wished he could go far, far away. That was the wish that had gotten him into trouble in the first place.


End file.
